With the invention of ceramic coatings as a far superior protection for a vehicle’s exterior surfaces some have said, “Wax is dead.” Is car wax dead? While I do not disagree that a ceramic coating is the absolute best protection for one’s vehicle, I do disagree that waxing a vehicle is a “dead” practice.

Brief history of Car Wax

Waxing a vehicle is almost as old as the horse and buggy. “Waxing” was first developed in the early 1800s by using animal fats to shine up carriages. As the years went on people starting using natural waxes such as vegetable wax, beeswax, and oils, as well as other synthetic things to shine and protect vehicles services. Today’s car waxes are a formulation of blended waxes, oils, and solvents which can include crude oil distillates, ethanol, mineral spirits, petroleum, and more. A step up from many waxes you find paint sealants. Many paint sealants are made up of fully synthetic longer lasting, more durable materials than natural waxes. The technology for waxes and paint sealants has come a long way and both can be great options to keep a vehicle’s paint and other surfaces protected from the elements.

Car Protection

Car wax or sealant is not a permanent solution to protect a car. Most car wax will last anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. Most sealants will last 3 to 6 months. Some claim to last up to a year. Obviously this depends greatly on what the wax or sealant goes up against. Depending on where your vehicle spends most of its time and how its cared for will enhance or reduce the durability of a wax and sealant.

The pluses of waxes and sealants are that they are layerable, meaning you can put multiple coats of wax or sealant and layer right on top of each other. You can apply them each time you wash your car if you want.

Car Wax with foam applicator

A newer product to the market is the invention of ceramic sprays. These tend to be more like sealants and less like an actual ceramic coating. To be honest I think the use of the word “ceramic” is more of a marketing ploy playing off of the success of coatings.

Vehicle ceramic coatings have been extremely popular and have changed the detailing world. Truth be told there are various forms of ceramic coatings using Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) and Silicon Carbide (SiC). The biggest distinction between the two is that SiC based coatings chemically bond to the paint. Silicon Carbide forms during this bonding process. It cross links with the vehicle’s clear coat and then remains this way for the life of the paint. With SiO2 coatings, many times referred to as glass coatings or quartz coatings, are made up of nano-particles of Silicon Dioxide suspended in a resin. Some SiO2 coatings are helped by regular application of toppers.

Cost vs. Benefit

So when it comes to making a decision on what is the best choice to protect your vehicle, there are various factors that should be considered.

1. Budget

This is a big factor to consider. Only you know (or you should know) if your budget does or does not allow (all at once) for a complete paint restoration service and ceramic coating installation to be done on your vehicle. If it does not you’re better off going with the wax or sealant applied regularly. That way you don’t break the bank. But if you can afford it then getting a ceramic coating installed may be one of the best things you can do for your vehicle’s protection.

2. Age and Condition of Paint

Another thing to consider is the age, condition and type of paint you have on your vehicle. If your paint is past the point of no return, as in you already have clear coat failure or so many rock chips it now looks spotted, you probably would be better to not worry about a ceramic coating because the paint is already so damaged that a coating will only be protecting ruined paint and bare surfaces.

Now if you have a new vehicle that you really want to keep it top shape a full paint correction and ceramic coating is absolutely the way to go. New paint and clear coat are going to need protection and why not give it the best.

3. Vehicle Use

Is your car an old daily driver that is only meant to get you from point a to b or do you have a luxury vehicle that makes smile as you walk up to it and see it shine. Honestly we have installed ceramic coatings on many different types of vehicles. Some brand new and other older and just needing some love.

4. Conditions/Elements

Where is your vehicle parked most of the time? Where is it driven? How do you care for it? Do you plan on taking your car through automatic brush washes or give it the care of hand washing? All these things and more are to be considered if wax.

5. Cost over time

Another thing to consider which many people don’t think about is that when you apply wax or paint sealant to your vehicle over a 2 to 3 year period, you may be spending as much or something close to what you would on a one time paint correction and ceramic coating installation. Again this varies greatly depending on frequency, coat of materials used, if you do it yourself or hire a professional detailing service, etc. If you do the math you may be surprised.

6. Personal Preference

Ultimately it comes down to personal preference. If you love your vehicle and you want to protect it you will choose what works best for you. There are many who enjoy taking half the day washing and waxing their own car. Others don’t want to or don’t have time to spend doing that and they would rather the process be as easy and quick as possible. A lot people hire professionals to do it for them.

It is up to you if you want to protect your vehicle from what it takes on or not. It’s also up to you how you want to accomplish that.

Is Car Wax dead?

So is car wax dead? Nope. Not a chance. Car wax and paint sealants still have a place in the automotive detailing and protection world and probably will for a long time to come.

Feel free to contact via a call, text (801) 412-9274 or e-mail, clean@onsitedetail.net, if you have any questions or if you would want to schedule a service for your vehicle.

He is a Certified Detailer-Skills Validated detailer through the

International Detailing Association. The industry leader in detailing standards.

Why should you get a ceramic coating on your vehicle?

With so much talk going around about ceramic coatings and it being the new hot thing for many car owner’s, the question arises, why should I get a ceramic coating installed on my vehicle? There are many answers of why you and should not get a coating installed on your vehicle. Let’s go over some of these reasons.

First of all, the benefits a ceramic coating can provide are many and vary from brand to brand.

Mostcoatings, if not all offer the benefit of prolonged protection superior to traditional car waxes or paint sealants.I’ve heard of coatings for vehicles that have claims of lasting from a year to 10 years. Personally, I’m a little skeptical of the 10-year claims but maybe that’s just me. All of the coatings I’ve used do stress the importance of proper prep work before installation, proper installation of the coating and proper maintenance after the coating is installed.

Another huge benefit of a ceramic car coating is the fact that is repels water and dirt much more than an unprotected, a waxed or a paint sealed vehicle. This means that it is also much easier to keep a vehicle clean and also much easier to wash it and maintain it. I have seen many tests done by detailers from around the world where vehicle panels are divided up and protected with different waxes, sealants and coatings. All the products that they’ve used repel water differently but coatings outlast and performbetter than everything else as times goes on.

I highly recommend getting a ceramic coating if your vehicle is newer or if you’ve recently had new paint protection film or a vinyl wrap installed. It will increase the life of the paint, PPF or vinyl wrap.

So now you may ask, why would anyone not want a coating?

One thing that must be understood and is often misrepresented or oversold about coatings is that a coating is “scratch proof” or “rock chip proof”. This is absolutely not true. Yes, a coating is harder/more durable than paint but it is not invincible. If a kid runs his bike handles or pedals down the side of a ceramic coated vehicle it will most likely scratch it. If improper washing if performed on the coating it will most likely leave swirl marks. If someone opens their door and slams it into a coated car it will still scuff and possibly dent it.

If you have a vehicle that is in bad shape or some uncorrectable issues with the paint such as rock chips, deep scratches or paint cracking then a coating may not be for you. Of course, a coating can still be installed but those issues will still be there underneath.

I hope this info has helped you decide if a coating is right for you and your vehicle. The benefits and value of what you get when a coating is professional installed is totally worth it.

What is a ceramic coating?

Advances in the auto detailing industry

The advances in the auto detailing industry in the last few years have beenincredible. The science and technology behind the tools and chemicals has improved so much that detailer’s who have not kept up on their continuing education have been left behind in many regards.

Ferrari detailed by Onsite Detail

One of the biggest innovations we’ve seen is the introduction of coatings for a vehicle‘s exterior surfaces. The creation of these ceramic coatings has changed the way people protect their vehicle’s exterior surfaces. When compared to a traditional car wax or paint sealant, a ceramic coating forms a much harder, thicker layer of protection, enabling it to last considerably longer. Ceramic coatings form a strong and durable layer of protection on many of avehicle‘s exterior surfaces. Some of the coatings on the market today actually cross link and bond with the vehicle’s existing clear coat to provide an even better durability. Most of the coatings can be layered for more protection. Not only does a ceramic coating provide exceptional protection but the depth and gloss that can be achieved are truly astoundingwhen proper decontamination and paint correction is done prior to a coating installation. When kept clean and with proper maintenance the vehicle will have that “just waxed” look for years!

Whatyour paint needs before a coating can be applied?

As mentioned above a ceramic coating will provide exceptional protection, but without the proper prep work the gloss and shine of the coating will be lacking.

Paint decontamination of a car’s paint is an often overlooked detailing step, yet very necessary to achieve a flawless finish. Paint contamination consists of any airborne chemical compounds, metal/iron particles, adhesives, industrial fallout, rail dust, acid rain, bird droppings, road tar, grime, tree sap, bugs, water spots, brake dust, road salt, oil, paint over spray, etc. that is either on or embedded in the paint surface. Keep in mind that even new cars are subject to paint contamination and most, if not all will need some decontamination.

After the paint is clean it’s going to need some additional love and care before the coating installation. It needs to be corrected. Paint correction refers to the process of removing the imperfections in your vehicle’s painted surfaces and restoring it as much as possible. Paint is corrected as needed using professional grade products and tools. These imperfections include, swirl marks, scratches, water spots, bird dropping etching, holograms, and more. The only true way to remove scratches in your vehicle’s paint is with the process of paint correction. Time and cost to correct the paint varies depending on the condition that it’s in. Many times, the correction process is the bulk of the work when providing a coating installation service. Unfortunately, paint cannot fix things such as rock chips, deep scratches that have gone through the clear coat and colored paint, cracks in the paint or bubbling from rusting underneath the paints surface. These problems need to be addressed by a body shop prior to paint correction. Once the paint is clean and corrected, its ready to receive the coating installation.

Our Murray Shop Location: 435 W White Pine Dr., Murray, UT 84123

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Our mobile detailing service is a convenient way to have your car professionally detailed while you work, spend time with friends or family, or do other important things. We also now offer in shop detailing at our Murray location to better serve all of our customers needs. You can drop off and pick or wait in our lounge while your vehicle is being detailed.